Council leaders make revised pay offer after third union votes for strikes

Cosla said the proposed 3.2% uplift is at the ‘absolute limit of affordability for councils’.

Cosla said the new offer is at the ‘absolute limit of affordability for councils’ (PA)

Trade unions are being asked to suspend any plans for strike action by council workers after local government leaders tabled a new pay offer.

Cosla, which represents Scotland’s 32 local authorities, is now proposing a 3.2% wage hike, backdated to April, and said it is a “strong, fair and credible” offer.

The revised deal is slightly higher than the Scottish Government’s public sector pay policy, which proposes a rise of 3% for 2024-25 – with Cosla stressing it is at the “absolute limit of affordability for councils, given the severe financial constraints local government is facing”.

Cosla resources spokeswoman Katie Hagmann urged unions to put the offer to their members and suspend any strike action while they consider it.

Three unions representing council workers have received mandates for strike action in some local authorities, with Unison, Unite and the GMB all having balloted staff.

Unison, the largest local government union, said on Wednesday that waste, recycling and street cleaning workers in 14 council areas had voted in favour of industrial action.

The same union also plans to ballot members working in schools and early years centres from next week.

Members of Unite in 16 councils have voted for strikes in cleaning and waste services in the pay row, with the GMB confirming its members in 13 local authority areas have also backed such action.

Speaking on Wednesday, Colette Hunter, chairwoman of Unison Scotland’s local government committee, warned “large parts of Scotland are weeks away from bins not being collected and rubbish piling up in the streets”.

Less than 24 hours later, Cosla announced the revised pay offer, with Ms Hagmann saying this came after “ongoing and constructive engagement” with the unions.

It is a strong, fair and credible pay offer, reflecting the high value council leaders place on the local government workforce and the invaluable work they do every day

Katie Hagmann, Cosla

Ms Hagmann said: “This is for a 3.2% pay uplift at all pay points, for a one-year period of April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025.

“After listening to our trade union colleagues, the offer does not propose a change in the pay settlement date, which featured in our earlier offer.

“It is important to stress that this revised, fair offer is at the absolute limit of affordability for councils, given the severe financial constraints local government is facing.

“This strong offer is worth more than the first year of the Scottish Government’s current public sector pay policy.

“It is a strong, fair and credible pay offer, reflecting the high value council leaders place on the local government workforce and the invaluable work they do every day serving communities across Scotland.”

She said Cosla is committed to “reaching a speedy and mutually agreeable resolution to pay discussions”.

Graham McNab of Unite confirmed the union had received the new formal pay offer, saying: “It is welcome that Cosla has finally ditched the unacceptable proposal to change the pay anniversary date from April to October.”

He added: “We are clear that the present situation, whereby Unite has a strike mandate across 16 councils in waste and cleansing services, would not have developed if Cosla had properly and seriously engaged with the trade unions at a far earlier stage.

“Whether the new offer is judged to be a significant improvement will be considered by our local government representatives this coming Monday July 22 at an emergency meeting in Glasgow.”